Vampires
by Twilight Kitsune
Summary: AU: On his way to pick Tohru up form work, Kyou disappears. Murders in a nearby city turn up with Kyou's DNA and the now cursefree juunishi are brought in. [New chapter posted.]
1. Rebirth

Disclaimer:  I don't own Furuba. 

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the First: Rebirth

            It was late, and the rain was just starting to fall.  Kyou was standing under the eaves of the building Tohru worked at, scuffing his foot in the pavement.

            "Why?" he muttered to himself, "Why the hell does it have to rain?"  He slid into a sitting position at the base of the wall, his energy washing away with the rain.  With any luck, the rain might have gone away, but Kyou wasn't exactly known for his luck.  The rain started coming down in sheets, and pretty soon he was totally out of energy.  He'd been waiting for Tohru for almost an hour, and it was taking its toll.  Before he knew it he was asleep, and not even the fact that he was being lifted up and carried away stirred his slumber.  

            Tohru bustled about the kitchen cooking breakfast.  It was a gorgeous Saturday morning, and the birds were chattering happily.  Dew still rested on the grass from the night before, and as Tohru set breakfast on the table, she stopped to admire the beautiful weather.  She'd been up for a few hours, and undoubtedly so had Shigure, according to the constant clatter of his keyboard.  Only one thing had been wrong with the perfect day she was having; Kyou hadn't gotten up yet.  Yuki usually slept in, that Tohru was used to, but Kyou never slept in.  Usually he was up long before Tohru, and even when he did sleep in he was always up before noon.  

            "Tohru!" cried an all too familiar voice.  Tohru turned her gaze from the backyard into the house where Kagura was coming forward, her arms out ready for a hug.  Tohru accepted the hug gratefully, went into the kitchen to grab another plate for Kagura.  

            "Tohru, where's Kyou-kun?" asked Kagura.  

            "I think he's still in bed."

            "I'll go wake him up!" said Kagura as she bounced up the stairs past Yuki, who was his usual cheery self.  

            "Yuki, you're up!" said Tohru as Yuki entered the room, "Have a seat, I made you're favorite for breakfast."  Yuki sat down and Tohru served him breakfast before taking a seat of her own.  The two sat mostly in silence, with only the birds talking and Kagura slamming around upstairs, but soon Yuki was awake enough to talk and he and Tohru started discussing plans for the Secret Base.  They were thinking of expanding the base, but weren't sure what to put in it.  As they were pondering the possibility of planting another row of strawberries Kagura came stomping down the stairs.  

            "Tohru, you said he was still in bed!" 

            "I haven't seen him yet today," Tohru answered, "I just assumed he was still sleeping."

            "Kagura, did you try the roof?" asked Yuki.

            "Yes," said Kagura, clearly frustrated, "and he wasn't there."  Shigure wandered in and sat beside Tohru, 

            "Did he come home with you last night Tohru?" he asked as he helped himself to breakfast.  

            "What do you mean Shigure?"

            "Kyou went to your work to pick you up, didn't he?

            "No, he didn't."

            Kyou woke with a shudder in a cold, dark room.  There was no light, not the slightest crack of sunshine, and the dank, dark walls were giving off a moldy smell that was enough to make anyone sick.  Sitting up, Kyou brushed off some excess mold and looked around.  There wasn't much to see, what with it being pitch black and all, but Kyou got up and wandered around anyway.  In a few minutes he heard the door creaking open, and saw the soft glow of a lamp as a tall dark figure stepped into the room.  It was tall and lanky with cold, eerie green eyes and long greasy dark hair.  It's bony, emotionless face was bathed in a yellow light from the lamp, giving it the look of some horror story monster, only much more real.  Reaching a pale, bony hand out it beckoned Kyou forward.  Wary, he stepped forward, unsure of what else to do.  The creature leaned forward and spoke, his voice sending shivers up Kyou's spine,

            "Are you human?" it asked.

            "What?" asked Kyou, who shuffled backwards instinctively.  

            "You don't smell human."  It repeated, stepping forward and bringing itself closer to Kyou again, who was backed up against a wall.  Kyou tried to slide away, but he soon found himself backed into a corner, with nowhere to go.  The creature leaned forward turning his head as he sniffed at Kyou again, then with lightning speed he sank his teeth into Kyou's neck.  

            Kyou stood paralyzed, half in shock and half in fear.  This thing was, well… it had to be a vampire.  Kyou felt his life draining slowly into the vampire and he felt his strength sliding away again, much like it had in the rain.  As he started to slide to the floor another creature, he was guessing another vampire, stepped into the room and pulled the vampire off of him. Grateful, Kyou collapsed and put his hand to his neck to stop the bleeding.  

            "Mijimesa, get out of here." said the newcomer, as he walked over and kneeled in front of Kyou, blocking his view of the door.  

"You're quite strong, boy," said the Vampire, handing Kyou a piece of cloth to stop the bleeding, "few even survive the site of Miji, let alone his bite."  The Vampire stopped and sat for a moment in thought before continuing, "For that I will give you a chance; you can stay as you are and die, or you can become my apprentice."  

Kyou thought for a moment.  His mind was clouded with exhaustion, and the only thing that really rang in his mind was the choice of stay alive or die.  In the end his fear of death won out and he agreed to become an apprentice.  The vampire smiled slightly as he grasped Kyou by the head and shoulder.  

            "I was hoping you'd say that."

            "Are you sure no one has seen him?…Okay, thanks…Yes… thank you Kazuma."  Shigure hung up the phone and turned toward Tohru.  

            "He wasn't at the Dojo."  

            "But where else would he be?  If Master is here, then Kyou hasn't run away to train, and he isn't even at Sohma House.  There's nowhere else for him to go, is there?" asked Kagura.  She and Tohru had been on a mad search of the house since they had discovered that Kyou was gone, and so far they hadn't found a trace of him.  

            "His coat is gone," said Hatori, who had come to help look, "I doubt he came back from going to pick up Tohru last night."

            "It rained pretty hard last night.  Perhaps the baka neko collapsed somewhere and hasn't woken up yet."  suggested Yuki.

            "That's right!" said Tohru, almost hugging Yuki, but catching herself at the last moment, "Let's go look for him!" 

            Kyou woke in yet another dark room, this time on a bed.  Heavy drapes hung over the windows, and he only light was a small fire lit on the hearth of the western-based room.  He knew something was different, wrong almost, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  As the memories of the encounter, and the deal he had made with the vampire came to him, he reached up to his neck and found it fully healed.  It puzzled him.  How could he be healed when the injury was only a few hours old?  Sitting up, Kyou found something else that was wrong.  Around his left wrist, right were his bracelet should have been, was a burn mark.  The burn traveled all around his wrist in the exact place his bracelet had.  The bracelet no longer resided around his wrist, and yet he was not in his true form.  Rising carefully from the bed, he stepped onto shaky feet and walked around the room.  It was almost as though he was walking for the first time, his legs were unsteady beneath him.  

After a few minutes Kyou got bored and meandered over to the door.  He found it unlocked, and as he pushed it open and found his way into the hallway he realized that he was barefoot, and wearing only his pants.  Not thinking about how cold he should have been, Kyou continued down the hallway.  It was dark and gloomy, and the never ending line of doors that Kyou passed seemed to go on forever.  Every now and again there would be a lamp, but mostly the hall was unlit.  

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he could tell that there was a vampire coming down the hall.  Stepping into a nearby room, he watched as the vampire, it was the one named Miji, passed by.  Once he was sure Miji had gone by, he opened the door and was about to step into the hall when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Whipping around, Kyou found himself face-to-face with the other vampire.  

"You have adjusted well." he said.  

"What do you mean?" asked Kyou.  

"You mean you don't know?  Come now, surely you realize what you have become." the vampire said with a bit of a laugh.  "Haven't you noticed the absence of your breath, the sharpness of your sight?  Did you not see where your prayer beads burned into your flesh?"  Kyou swallowed hard as the truth hit him.  It made sense, in a twisted sort of way.  On day he was just your average cursed Sohma who thought Vampires where just horror stories, the next day he was one.  Well, if curses existed, vampires certainly could.  

            Tohru lay awake listening to the pattering of rain on the roof.  She, Yuki, and Kagura had searched for hours for Kyou.  In fact they would still have been out there if it hadn't started to rain.  Being as cold as it was, Yuki could easily have had an asthma attack and Tohru was determined not to let that happen.  Kyou would be fine until morning.  Surely they'd find him then.  

            Kyou sat listening to his new master.  All the rules of being a vampire were being explained to him, but he couldn't focus; there was just too much going on.  His mind was swimming in a mix of new sensations and knowledge.  This vampire, Shibo was his name, had sired him and in doing so, broke his curse.  Now he was a vampire, and he had no idea what to do next.  Shibo had told him he was going to have to eat soon, and Kyou could tell that he was hungry.  Somehow the fact that he was going to have to kill, or at least injure a human to eat, didn't bother him.  

All too soon he found himself following Shibo through the shadows of the city.  They were in the darker areas, looking for some unsuspecting human to kill.  Soon a man walked into the alley.  The black mask he wore hid his face, but also dimmed his vision.  He never saw Shibo swoop down and press him against the wall of the alley.  Shibo beckoned quietly for Kyou, who silently came forward.  

"Drink." he said, holding the struggling man still for Kyou.  

Hesitantly, Kyou stepped forward and sank his new fangs into the man's neck.  The flow of the man's blood into Kyou's veins exhilarated him, and he couldn't tear himself away.  Soon he found the man he was holding was dead, and he drew back.  

"Well done." said Shibo taking the man from Kyou, "You are quite good at this."  He pulled a knife from his boot and slashed the man's throat open, hiding the bite marks.  Turning, he dropped the man on the ground and lead Kyou away.  "We shall have to get you some decent clothes.  People could get suspicious about a boy walking half-naked around the streets as though it was summer."  Shibo said, rambling to Kyou.  Kyou found himself listening to the vampire, and soon he forgot all about his old life.  He became Shibo's apprentice, and no longer the cursed cat of the zodiac.

Dedication:  This is my newest story and I wasn't actually planning to post it until later, but I wanted to dedicate something to the memory of Ebony.  Tomorrow she, my dog and best friend of thirteen years, is going to be put down.  I dedicate this story to her.    


	2. Naming

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Second:  

A woman walked all alone through the cold, dark streets.  Her eyes constantly darted around while she clutched her purse and the pepper spray inside it.  She darted from street lamp to street lamp, her pace just short of running as her breath came in ragged breaths.  Something was behind her, she could hear it.  It kept to the shadows, and moved like no other creature possibly could.  She was but a block from her house when the creature leapt in front of her.  It was just out of the light of the streetlamp and all she could see was its silhouette.  She turned and ran the other way, a chocked scream escaping her lips as new adrenaline pumped through her veins.  The creature continued after her, keeping just behind her.  Every now and again, it would leap in front of her and scare her into a different direction.  Soon she found herself backed into a dark alley.  The creature walked leisurely forward and pressed its hands to either side of the trembling woman's head.  Turning her head to the side it bit into her neck.  The sweet red liquid of the woman's life flowed into the creature's body as it drank and the feeble struggling of the woman slowed to a stop as she lost strength.  When she was dead, the creature let her slide to the ground and wiped the excess blood from its mouth.  

"Fear always makes them sweeter."  It muttered before sliding a knife from its coat and slitting the woman's neck to hide the bite marks.  Picking up the woman's purse, it riffled through and found the lady's money.  Dropping the wallet and pocketing the money, the creature turned to its companion.  

"You did well boy, well enough to earn a name.  You shall be called Kyofu."

"Thank you Shishou." Kyofu answered as he followed his master out of the alley silently into the night.

Meanwhile, Kagura stood on a cliff looking out over the valley where Kyou had last run away to.  It had been several months since his disappearance, but he had not yet been heard from.  Every member of the juunishi plus Tohru, Tohru's friends, and Kyou's Shishou had been out searching, but to no avail.  Everyday someone would come up to Kyou's favorite spot in the mountains, where Kagura was now, and look for Kyou, but so far no one had had any luck.  In fact the only luck anyone seemed to be having was that no one had transformed in a while.  Sighing in disappointment and admiring the sunset that could be seen so clearly from that spot on the cliff, Kagura turned and headed for home.  

The air was so crisp and clean and it had been a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine.  If she thought about it, Kagura could still see Kyou lying in the sun, relaxing in the beauty of the moment.  She missed him horribly, even though she saw him only once a month because of school.  She often thought of Tohru, who still set an extra plate for him out of habit.  Tohru had been the closest to Kyou, though Kagura would never admit it, and she was taking it the hardest.  Kagura had often cried on Tohru's shoulder, almost as often as Tohru had cried on Kagura's, and the two had become much closer on account of it.  Kagura reached down and idly picked a wildflower that grew alongside the road and held it to herself.  Thinking of her Kyou, the cursed boy who somewhere, deep inside, loved her, Kagura drifted down the now well-worn path back to Shigure's house.  

Momiji leapt up through the door, quite excited to be at Shigure's house again.  It beat having to stay with Hatori any day.  Looking up at Yuki he asked, 

"Is Tohru home?"

"She's in the kitchen," Yuki answered.  Momiji went skipping into the kitchen, keeping an eye out for Tohru's friends.  When he didn't see any, he leapt up behind Tohru and wrapped his arms around her with a yell of "Tohru!!!"  Tohru looked down at the little blond boy clinging to her waist in confusion.  He was still human…

"Momiji!" said a shell shocked Hatori who stood in the doorway.  

"What's going on?" asked Shigure as he poked his head around the doorframe.  

"Momiji," said Tohru as she carefully pried him off of her and looked him in the eye, "Why didn't you transform?"

Two dark figures fought in a secluded alleyway.  The shorter figure with orange hair and crimson eyes threw himself into the taller figure's stomach, throwing him back.  The taller figure, with greasy black hair and dark eyes, countered with a strong one-two-punch that knocked the redhead, named Kyofu, back several feet.  Pulling himself back into a fighting stance Kyofu narrowly dodged several blows before lunging at his opponent again, this time landing a solid blow to the head.  The other figure slammed into a nearby wall before launching a full-out attack on his opponent.  For several more minutes, the two went at each other, before they both collapsed in exhaustion.  

"You are getting better." said the tall one as he put his hand to his head to stop the bleeding of a small cut.  

"Thanks." said Kyofu rising to his feet.  He was a little shaky, but considering he had been fighting for the last several hours, he was doing fine.  "I'm hungry."  he said, looking out into the dimly lit street that passed the alley.  A scent came to him, the scent of fear.  He knew it well, and as he let himself drift after his dinner he heard his opponent, Miji, come up behind him.  Kyofu soon found himself hunting amoung the darkly lit streets as Miji watched for a meal of his own.  It was a woman again; she was out on her own, running in fear of something or other.  That made it more fun.  Kyofu hunted her for several blocks, letting himself be heard just enough to scare the living daylights out of her.  After about an hour of chase, Kyofu had cornered the woman into an alleyway.  As he advanced toward her, she pulled a gun on him and shot him twice through the heart.  He fell backwards with the impact of the shot, and felt the woman leaning over him and examining the wound.  

"I hate getting shot."  Kyofu said as he sat up and pulled the bullets from his torso.  The woman, obviously a police officer, was backing into the wall again; her hands shaking too hard for her to hold the gun steady.  Kyofu leapt up and enjoyed his dinner with extra gusto.  This woman was even more terrified than most, and she tasted all the better.  Unfortunately, before he could completely finish her, a police siren started shrieking and Kyofu was forced to leave the woman alive as he ran off.  She wouldn't last more than five minutes, he thought as he hid the bite marks, she would be nothing to worry about.    

Replies to reviewers:

bethbeth64: My first reviewer!!!!  Thanks ABO, and hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Misaki:  Thanks!  Well, you held of killing for 22 chapters then.  That's still a big achievement.  

chibichibi-neko:  Thank you!!!  

AN:  Sadly enough, I only got three reviewers.  Well, I'm getting kinda used to the rejection by now.  I am on a writing spree due to the fact that I have nice dark music to listen to.  Evanescence is great background music for writing.  Anyone who was looking forward to this chapter should thank ABO, it's her CD.  Anyway, I'll see y'all next chapter.  Ja!

                                                                                                                                                            ~ TK


	3. Discoveries

Disclaimer:  I don't own Furuba.

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Third: Discoveries

Tohru sat at the dinner table thinking to herself.  She and the others had spoke to Akito the night before about the curse, and had found him looking better than he ever had.  Hatori had been unable to explain it, and had been watching him closely for a while.  It seemed that the curse had been broken, and if Akito's condition was any indication, then it had been broken for several months.  The connection had also been made that Kyou had gone missing around the same time as the curse was broken.  No one was sure how, but everyone knew that it had something to do with Kyou's disappearance.  Tohru was still in shock when Yuki had led her home, and as she went to bed.  Now she was up again and everything was sinking in.  It was likely that Kyou would never be seen again, and yet, the curse was broken.  Tohru found it hard to decide whether she should be happy or sad.  Before Tohru could sink totally into her thoughts, a knock at the door drew her out into the hallway.  

"Hello," she said to the policeman standing at the door, "can I help you?"  

"May I speak to the owner of the house please?"  he answered.  

"Of course."  Tohru said, leading the officer inside. "I'll go find him." 

Tohru wandered toward Shigure's office to see if he was up, and when she found it empty, headed upstairs.  The police officer really had her worried.  He wouldn't have any info on Kyou, the police had stopped searching a month after his disappearance, but if not for that, what did he want to talk to Shigure for?  Knocking lightly on the door Tohru called for Shigure and found him already up and dressed, just hanging out in his room reading.  In a few moments Tohru, Shigure, and the policeman all sat around the table sipping tea.  

"We have information on your missing person."  the officer said staring coldly at Shigure.  

"What information?" asked Shigure, now interested.  

"We found his DNA at a crime scene, along with that of several other victims.  His body is the only one that hasn't been found."

Kyofu was waiting for the sun to go down.  He'd been up for an hour, and was starting to get impatient.  He was hungry, and as he paced back and forth listening to the music his Shishou had turned on he decided he'd had enough.  Putting in his own music he began to pull on his clothes for the day.  To the tune of a song called "Haunting" he pulled on a black t-shirt and heavy black boots.  A quick glance at the burn around his wrist and he pulled a long-sleeved sweatshirt on.  To some he would look a selfish punk, to others a troubled kid, and if he felt like it, he could make some think of him as an innocent boy, lost in the streets.  Today he was hungry, and didn't care what people saw in him as he stood in the shadow of the house, waiting for the last rays of sun to disappear.  

Tohru opened her eyes to a cheery face framed by blond hair.  

"You're awake!!!" said Momiji as he leaned back and gave Tohru room to sit up.  

"How long was I sleeping?" she asked as she glanced out the window of Hatori's car.  

"A few hours," said Kagura from the front seat, "You woke up just in time, we're almost there."  Tohru looked out the windows at the tall buildings that lined the sides of the road, towering eerily.  The sun was going down, and the city starting to light up.  Tohru was amazed she'd managed to fall asleep.  It was amazing outside, plus she was in a car with five other people not counting herself.  How she'd even been able to relax was beyond her.  

A few minutes later, Hatori pulled the car into the parking lot of a 4-star hotel.  Everyone jumped out, eager to stretch.  Momiji could be seen running around everyone as they headed into the hotel with Hatori in the lead.  Yuki and Haru just ignored the little bouncing bundle of hyperness while Tohru actually laughed and tried to keep up with him.  Kagura watched from a distance as Momiji and Tohru raced around in the lobby of the hotel and laughed a little.  It was good to see someone was happy.  Hatori turned around and gave Kagura a set of keys to the room she would be sharing with Tohru and headed off to hand out keys to the others.  Kagura led Tohru up to room 408 and the two spent several minutes exploring the spacious apartment before they unpacked and Kagura went to bed.  Tohru wandered around the apartment for several hours in thought.  She was bored.  Everyone had gone to bed, but she'd already gotten plenty of sleep.  Finally she settled on going for a walk, and left a note for Kagura, explaining where she'd gone. Then Tohru, oblivious as she was, headed out into the darker areas of the city, looking for a place to sit a think undisturbed.  

Kyofu saw his chance for a good chase in the appearance of a thin young girl in the alley.  She definitely didn't look like a city girl.  Kyofu smiled, this was going to be fun.  He started up behind her, keeping to the shadows so the brunette wouldn't be able to see him.  The girl heard the slightly exaggerated sound of his boots, and started to get nervous.  Walking briskly forward she found herself lost, with the footsteps still following her.  Turning down a nearby alleyway, the girl found herself running for all she was worth, the adrenaline giving her extra speed.  Kyofu kept up easily, laughing quietly to himself at how easy this one was to scare.  It would make a wonderful meal.  He followed the terrified girl down another alley, this time letting her hear his laughter.  The brunette put forth another burst of speed and turned down another alleyway, then another and another all with Kyofu behind her.  Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, and it was all she could do to keep from collapsing.  Turning down yet another alley, she found herself cornered against a brick wall.  She cowered, shaking in fear and clutching at the stitch in her side.  Kyofu walked up to her and pulled her to her feet, something about her seemed eerily familiar.  He was about to sink his fangs into her when she looked up into his cold, crimson eyes.  

"Kyou?" she asked, her voice shaky.  Kyou stepped back, horrified at what he'd almost done.  It all came rushing back to him, his life as a Sohma, the curse, and most importantly, Tohru.  His eyes widened in shock and he stared at Tohru, who had gone from his secret love, to his possible dinner.  Turning, he ran, unable to look at her any longer.  "Kyou!" Tohru called as she ran after him.  "Why are you running?" she asked, "Please, don't run!"  And at that moment she collapsed from exhaustion.  

**Replies to reviewers:**

Amethyst:  Thank you!!! I will.

ABO: Thanks.

Lady-Star77:  Thanks!!!  I will.

**Story Advertisement:**  The Conspiracy by bethbeth64: one of the best crossovers ever written.  A Must Read.  And anyone with information on the nearest Big Laser Type Death Ray Thing's 'R' Us store should contact us, ours recently blew up.  Something about the military not liking how easy it was to take over the world.  

AN: That's chapter three.  This has got to the most I've written at one time, ever.  I love this story!!!  It's just so much fun to write!  Normally it would have taken me months to get this far.  Anyway, my sudden burst of inspiration is still thanks to ABO's CD, which I have probably listened to over a hundred times by now.  Out of boredom I also came up with a little contest thingy.  Disclaimers are boring, yet necessary and I'm looking for some ways to say "I don't own Furuba." without putting everyone to sleep.  So, every chapter submit your disclaimer ideas and I'll pick the best one and post it along with the winner's name in my next chapter.  Not much of a contest, but it could be fun.  And sorry about the short replies to the reviewers, I just couldn't think of anything to say.  Until next chapter, ja!

                                                                                                                                    TK


	4. Nightmares

Disclaimer: No own Furuba I

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Fourth: Nightmares

Tohru woke to find herself on the couch in her apartment.  She had no idea how she had gotten there, all she knew was that she was safe and something smelled really, really good.  Rising carefully and favoring her aching body as best she could, Tohru found her way into the kitchen where Kagura was cooking breakfast.  Kagura turned around at the sound of footsteps and waved her to a seat at the table.  

"Where did you go to last night?"  Kagura asked as she turned her attention back to the stove.  

"For a walk." Tohru answered, still unsure if she should tell Kagura what had really gone on last night.  

"Did you forget your key, or did you just feel like sleeping in the hall?"  Tohru rolled the question over in her head.  How _had_ she gotten home?  Last she knew Kyou had run off and left her standing there all alone.  

"I think I forgot my keys."

"You think or you know?"

"I know."  she answered, a bit shaken at Kagura's coolness.  When had she gotten so bitter?  The two sat in silence for several minutes.  The sizzling of breakfast was the only sound that could be heard beside the quiet chirp of birds outside.  Tohru rose and wandered into the new sunlight that was spilling through the window.  Why had Kyou been acting so weird?  First he found her in the alley, she was grateful for that, and then he freaked out and ran away.  What was going on?  

 Kyou picked his way carefully toward home.  He was hungry, but his conscious was now haunting him, and every time he tried to eat he saw Tohru's horrified face.  As it got later, he headed into the sewers.  It was dark, dank and much like the cell he'd been sired in, though a bit more open.  Hunger was eating at his stomach as he worked his way carefully forward until he could take it no longer and caught the nearest living thing; a rat.  It took several rats to stop the gnawing of his stomach, and as he finished what had to be the twentieth rat he found himself looking at the sewer hatch which lead home.  Carefully climbing up, he let his instincts carry him silently to his room, where he collapsed into bed.  For several minutes he scrutinized the pitch-blackness that engulfed his room in its entirety; sleep was eluding him for the first time in months, and his nerves were not helping the situation.  After a while he finally sunk into a restless sleep, full of dreams.

_He found himself chasing the blond policewoman down through the series of alleyways that he knew so well.  It was a dreary night and a heavy mist had settled over the city, making the human even more paranoid than usual.  She turned down a new alley and Kyou laughed aloud, all the fear rolling off of her making him a bit giddy.  The woman gained speed as a new wave of adrenaline rushed through her veins and Kyou followed, laughing.  They turned into a new alley, and another, and another, until the woman found herself cornered.  Kyou started toward her, his hunger driving him.  He never saw the gun, though he heard the bullet come whizzing forward to hit him squarely in the stomach.  He flew backward and hit the ground, but before the woman could move, he leapt up and sunk his teeth into her with a growl.  He lost himself in the kill, and never even felt her feeble struggling, nor the gentle kiss of the rain as it started to fall from the heavens.  Police sirens started coming for him, and he pulled away, looking down at the near dead girl.  His shock was echoed in a startled squeal from the thin brunette in his arms.  _

_"Tohru…" he said as he looked into her eyes and watched the gentle film of pure white sweep over her eyes as she lost strength, and life.  The gentle new rain ran down her fearful face as she looked upon her murderer.  As Kyou felt her heart slow, he held her close and ignored the coming wail of sirens.  _

_"I'm sorry Tohru, I'm so sorry…"  _

Kyou's eyes shot open, and to take in what he thought would be a jail cell, but he was wrong.  The familiar darkness of his room was all that greeted him, no bailiff or executioner, just the familiar darkness he so often allied himself with.  Rising carefully, Kyou pulled himself to the edge of his bed.  His thoughts raced and whirled around in his head, and it took him several minutes to get everything straight.  He remembered being human, and being cursed.  He remembered that night when Miji had nearly killed him, and when Shibo had sired him.  He remembered killing nightly; partially for the need to, but mostly for the thrill of it.  He also remembered the night before when he had nearly killed Tohru.  After that, almost everything was a blur.  He remembered carrying Tohru to her hotel room, and leaving her on the doorstep, and he remembered his dinner, but all else seemed lost.  Climbing to his feet, he dressed and headed out to train. 

Tohru walked along the sidewalk, idly making sure her feet missed the cracks.  Kagura's voice seemed a long way off as Tohru delved deeply into her thoughts.  The horrified look on Kyou's face kept popping into Tohru's mind as she tried to think.  Where could he be?  Why was he afraid of Tohru?  Was it something she had said or done?  All night his startled face haunted her, depriving her of a good night's sleep. Random reasons for his fear came pelting at her again and again.  Maybe he had amnesia and the familiarity of her face startled him, or maybe he was staying away from her in order to keep the curse broken.  Maybe he was ashamed, or hiding something, but then what was he hiding?  A sharp jolt of pain preceded by a thump pulled Tohru back into the real world as she found herself wrapped around a pole.  

"Tohru! Are you alright?!" asked Kagura as she helped Tohru sit down on the sidewalk.  

"Yes, it's just a minor bump, I'm fine." she answered as she rubbed her head.  

"You need to pay attention to where you're going." scolded Kagura.  "And you need to tell me what has been bothering you so much lately."

"It's nothing."  Tohru said, holding back tears.  

"It's something." said Kagura as she helped Tohru toward the apartment.  "We'll talk more when we get to the apartment."

**Replies to the Reviewers:**

ABO: Thanks!  I love to advertise! I might advertise your other ones once I do a few of Misaki's.  Thanks again!

MistressCoCoLoVeR : Thanks… 

Random. : Yep that's me, one of the many Kyou fans.  Neo?  It sounds somewhat familiar… Does it have another name?  Thanks for the review!!!

sweetxseraph :Thanks!  Hope you enjoyed the update!!! 

AN:  Well, how did everyone like chapter 4?  I really can't think of much to say, so I guess I'll see y'all next chapter which should be out in a couple of days.  'Till then, JA!

                                                                                                                                                                                   TK


	5. Misery

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba.

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Fifth: Misery

Kyou flew backwards into a nearby wall, and slid to the ground.  Rolling away, he just managed to miss another punch from Miji and sweep Miji's legs from underneath him.  Climbing to their feet, both vampires faced off, their guard up to ward off the next attack.  

"Where's your mind Kyofu?" asked Miji as he started forward with a strong roundhouse kick aimed at Kyou's head.  Ducking, Kyou came round and scored a hit to Miji's left kidney.  Miji absorbed the blow and countered with a kick that sent Kyou flying.  "You walked into that." Miji commented as he started after Kyou.  Kyou took to the offense, showering Miji with a fury of blows.  Miji blocked several and even managed to comeback with a hit.  Kyou backed up, as did Miji, and both rested for a moment.  "You smell of rats." commented Miji, as he came forward again, his favorite combination of kicks already started, aimed at Kyou's head.  As they fought, Miji lunging and Kyou blocking, two humans walked by the alley.  Both brunettes turned their attention to the alley and the fight going on.  "Dinner delivered itself tonight, how convenient." commented Miji as he spotted the two girls.  Kyou swung around and saw the familiar faces and panicked.  His fury of blows became stronger with fear, and he drove Miji against a wall, but it was not before one of the girls recognized him.  

"Kyou!" shouted Kagura, running forward.  Miji lunged past the startled Kyou, eager for a kill.  

"NO!" shouted Kyou, knocking Miji to the side.  The elder vampire growled as he hit the wall.  In seconds he would be up again, and not very happy.  "Get out of here!" Kyou shouted at Kagura as he turned his attention back to the enraged vampire.  Miji lunged at Kyou with a fury of blows, faster than Kagura's eyes could follow.  Kyou managed to dodge some of them, but it was obvious that he wouldn't last long.  Finally an extra blow caught him in the stomach, and he flew back several yards into a wall.  

"Kyou!" yelled Kagura as she ran to him.  Miji, seeing the shocked form that was Tohru unguarded, lunged and sunk his teeth into her neck before Kyou could stop him.  Kyou pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the protests of his wounds and Kagura, and pulled Miji off of Tohru.  Miji, interrupted from his meal, was stunned as he flew backwards.  Kyou picked up Tohru and leapt forward, dragging a protesting Kagura behind him.  He had made his way through several of the alleys he knew so well, when Kagura pulled him to a stop.  Kagura, to winded to speak, looked up at him, a puzzled, yet angry look on her face.  

"What… was… that?" she asked as she attempted to stop hyperventilating.   

"Mijimesa." he replied, shifting the unconscious Tohru into a more comfortable position in his arms.    

"What's… a Mijimesa?"  she asked, as her breath started to come back.  

"Something you should stay as far away from as possible." Kyou said as he started walking down the alleyway.  Kagura started after him, able to breathe normally again.

"Where have you been?" she asked, accusation hanging heavily in her voice. She was sick of wondering, and she wanted to get as much information as possible in case he ran away again.  

"Nowhere." he said, continuing his navigation through the alleyways.  

"You've been somewhere!  Probably in this city seeing as you suddenly know what I can and can't go near.  Your fighting style has changed too.  You're faster and more agile than you were when you left.  Did you leave to train again?  If you did you can come home now! The curse is broken and Akito is no longer in charge of the family.  You don't have to beat Yuki, you can just come home and live with Shishou or Tohru or even me.  You won't ever have to live in the cage…"  

Kyou drifted off into a pool of memories from his life at Sohma House as Kagura continued to ramble in the background.  He remembered the deal with Akito, and Akito's stories about the other cats.  He remembered how it was tradition that the cats all end up in the cage and he remembered how he had been born the day Kazuma's grandfather had died.  Now he was dead, technically, but there had been no replacement born for him.  He was probably the reason the curse was broken.  He had died, but not left the earth so his replacement as the cat couldn't be born.  That meant there were only the twelve members of the zodiac left to be ruled by their god.  It threw the curse all out of whack.  But he was still the odd one out; the only one of the former zodiac that was still cursed, albeit with a different curse.  It seemed a curse would always haunt him, no matter what he did.  Tohru stirred in his arms and brought him back to the real world, where Kagura had stopped rambling and was staring ahead at the darkness of the alleys.   It would be several minutes before they got to the hotel, and Kyou wasn't sure if Tohru would stay unconscious that long.  He didn't really want another encounter with her unless he had to.  She was a reminder of the one time in his life when he was truly happy, when he was with her.  He knew he would never have that opportunity again, and that made it hurt too much to see her.  Kyou just hoped that Tohru would be happy, even if it was with the rat-boy.  

Rounding the next corner, Kyou lead the way into the hotel, and even up to Tohru and Kagura's room.  Kagura was shocked that Kyou had known where they were staying, but hadn't visited.  She still had no idea of Tohru and Kyou's previous meeting.  Silently, Kyou set Tohru down next to the door and turned to Kagura.  

"I've gotta go, take care of Tohru." he said, as he studied Kagura's confused look.

"But…" she started to protest as she reached forward and grabbed his arm in a sad attempt to keep him there.

Kyou heard a noise coming from down the hall.  It sounded like Momiji.  Carefully, he pried Kagura's hand off of his arm, and turned to leave.

"Don't go!" she begged, stepping to grab his arm.  Kyou dodged easily away from her and headed at a silent run down the hall where he disappeared around the corner.  Just as he left Momiji came around that same corner, at a run.  

"Kagura!" he yelled as he neared her.  "What's going on and where's… Tohru!" he said as he knelt beside Tohru and tried to wake her.  She blinked and opened her eyes, jumping a little bit at seeing two big brown eyes staring directly into hers.  "Tohru, what's going on?" asked Momiji. Tohru raised a hand to the wound on her neck absently, as she tried to remember what had happened.  

"I don't know… it all happened so fast…" she answered, rubbing her neck.  Kagura unlocked the door and leaned down to help Tohru up. She was unsteady on her feet, and her eyes kept closing of their own accord.  Somehow, with Momiji on one side and Kagura on the other, they managed to get Tohru into her room.  She went to sleep almost as soon as they got there.  Kagura and Momiji made their way to the living room to rest, Kagura almost falling asleep herself.    

"What really happened?"  asked Momiji.

"We saw Kyou, " Kagura explained, "he was fighting with this other guy and the other guy saw us and came after us.  Kyou knocked him down and protected us, but the man got to Tohru, and he hurt her.  Kyou stopped him and brought us home.  I asked him who it was that was attacking us and he told me it was something called 'Mijimesa'.  Then he left without a word and went down the hall in your direction.  Did you see him?  You must've, he went right past you."

"I didn't see anyone Kagura.  I came down alone."

Kyou leapt from his post on the ceiling after Momiji was a safe distance away, then made his way from the hotel.  He had no idea what to do.  Miji knew what was bothering him, and even what they looked like.  He would probably go after them.  Kyou stopped on the corner of the street he had left Miji in and sniffed.  Miji was still there, probably waiting for him.  Sure enough as he started walking again, Miji made his move.  He pinned Kyou to the nearest wall, before beating him a fair bit.  

"Who are they?" he demanded marking each word with a punch.  

"No one."  replied Kyou.

"They need to go." Miji said, as he stopped pummeling Kyou to talk.  "I will kill them so you can be as you were, Kyofu." he said as he hit Kyou sharply over the head.  It took a lot to knock a vampire out, but the combination of everything that had been going on had already taken its toll, and that last skull-crushing blow was enough to knock Kyou out.  "Besides," muttered Miji, "I always finish my dinner."

**Replies to Reviewers:**

ABO: Thank you!!!  I love running Tohru into poles, it's quite fun!  I love how you worked Kuroneko in!  If only he'd managed to catch Yuki…

Luffy V'shile : Wow!!! Double reviews!  Thank you so much!  I updated, um… fairly soon, I think.  The next chapter is already written so I can probably put that chapter up sometime later this week, but I'm kinda stuck after that so… it could be a while before I get any farther.  Oh, one more question: are by chance a fan of Luffy from One Piece?

taylor maybee : Thank you for the completely pointless flame, I've been craving smores lately.  If you want a further reply, check your e-mail. 

AN: That's chapter 5.  Not one of my favorites, but hopefully everyone likes it.  I left it on kind of a cliffy, but I'll try to remember to post the next chapter Friday or Saturday.  Um… yeah…  I guess that's it, so I'll se ya'll next chapter!!!  Ja!

                                                                                                                                                                                                            TK


	6. Forget Me

Disclaimer: I. D. O. F. (I don't own Furuba)

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Sixth: "Forget me"

Kyou raced through the streets in the early, pre-dawn hours. He had maybe and hour or two at best before he had to find shelter, and it looked like he would be spending the night in the sewers. As he approached the hotel, he looked for an open window of some sort, and found his chance on in a 3rd story window near where Tohru and Kagura were staying. Not caring if anyone saw him, he leapt up to the window and slid through the hall. As he made it to room 408 he found the door cracked open, and as he pulled it the rest of the way open he saw Miji again feeding on Tohru in a completely ransacked room. At least she'd put up a good fight; it might just have saved her life.

"Kyou…help…" she muttered as she saw him in the door, and Kyou made his way in. Catching him off guard, Kyou grabbed Miji by the hair, and threw him out the window, and turned to the stunned Tohru. Ignoring his overwhelming hunger Kyou picked Tohru up and carried her into the kitchen, keeping her awake as best he could. He dug some orange juice out of the fridge and forced her to drink it. If there was one thing he learned at the blood drives he'd gone to, it was that Tohru's body would need energy to make new blood. Hoping she would be all right, Kyou flipped the couch back over and laid Tohru on it. He dug around for a blanket and covered her up as she fell asleep. With nothing else to do, for he couldn't leave Tohru unattended, Kyou began to put the apartment back together. He was righting the table when Kagura came home.

"Oh my God!!!" she said as she dropped whatever it was she had been holding. "Tohru!" She ran forward and knelt by the couch, frantically examining Tohru for injuries. The wound on her neck had been reopened, and she was extremely pale. "Tohru!" Kagura yelled again as she shook the young girl. "Wake up!"

"Let her sleep." said a voice amoung the shadows of the kitchen. Kagura turned and squinted into the shadows.

"Kyou?" she asked, a note of fear in her voice.

"She needs the rest, let her sleep." he replied, stepping out of the shadows so Kagura could see his face.

"Kyou…" she said, in shock that he was there. "What happened?"

"He came back to finish her off." Kyou muttered, walking forward to check Tohru's pulse again. It was slightly stronger. Good.

"What's going on? Where have you been? Who is this 'he'? Why are you here? How did you…" she started. Kyou cut her off.

"I have to go." he said as he headed out the door.

"No!" said Kagura, blocking the door with her body. "Not until you tell me what's going on." Kyou looked to the window shades; they were turning orange. Very soon he would be trapped in the hotel, with no other place to go until nightfall. Before he could open his mouth to argue, three familiar figures rounded the corner. On instinct two words came from Kyou's mouth and were countered just as soon as they were uttered.

"Kuso nezumi."

"Baka neko."

Before long, the little quintet found themselves sitting around the table with tea, staring into nothingness with a heavy silence hanging over them. Kyou was idly pondering the similarities between tea and his usual meal. Both were warming to the throat, and equally relaxing, though one was definitely more filling. Still, he liked the tea; it kept its warmth much longer than blood, and could be taken in without suspicion. A sound drew Kyou from his thoughts; a sound that no one else seemed to have heard. Rising from his seat, Kyou went over to check on Tohru, who was beginning to stir. He heard the others follow him, but his attention was focused more on the waking figure before him. He watched Tohru's azure eyes open slowly, and blink in the light of the room. She looked around, slowly, and realized where she was. Then she tried to sit.

"Relax." commanded Kyou as he pushed her back down. "Don't try to move around." Tohru, obviously overwhelmed, looked at all the intent faces above her and almost broke into tears; it was all too much for her. Kagura stepped forward,

"Everyone give her some air." she said as she knelt by Tohru. Momiji and Haru went back into the kitchen, and Yuki stepped back out of the way, but where he could still keep an eye on Tohru. Kyou instinctively sunk into the shadows where he could watch without being seen. Kagura brushed a stray strand of hair from Tohru's pale face, "Do you need something?" she asked.

"Something to eat?" Tohru asked quietly, her voice weak and quivering.

"Onigiri?" asked Kagura, smiling bit and looking for the world like a caring mother over a bedridden child. Tohru nodded and sunk a bit deeper into the couch. Kagura pulled the blankets up and looked around for another. She found Kyou holding one out to her, and gratefully covered Tohru up. Momiji and Haru were already making Onigiri in the kitchen, per hearing Tohru's request, and Kagura could think of nothing better to do than sit where she was. Yuki stepped forward carefully, and made his way over to Tohru.

"Are you alright Miss Honda?" he asked as he got to where she could see him. Tohru smiled and looked at the handsome "Prince" of her high school.

"I'm fine Yuki, just tired." she answered, with a weak smile. Yuki nodded, the concerned look on his face dimming a bit as he stepped to the side to make room for Momiji who handed Kagura a plate of plain Onigiri.

"Sorry they're not flavored." Momiji said, "We couldn't find anything to flavor them with."

"That's alright, thank you Momiji." Said Tohru as Kagura handed her one of the rice balls. Tohru greatly accepted the food, and polished off the entire plate with a hunger she didn't know was possible, before shyly asking for more. Kyou smiled from the shadows where he stood, forgotten. She would be all right now that she was awake and eating.

Tohru, after eating several plates of Onigiri, had fallen into peaceful sleep. Color was starting to come back into her cheeks, and she seemed to be gaining strength. Everyone kept a watchful eye on the sleeping girl as they dug out a deck of cards and played Rich Man, Poor Man. Everyone assumed Kyou who stalked in the shadows waiting for nightfall, had left. No one heard the quiet wakings of the vampire who was convinced every noise was a sign that Miji had come for Tohru. His many attempts to rest had all been interrupted, either by his paranoia, or his stomach, which was also voicing its complaints. After hours of torturous sleeping and waking, Kyou gave up and headed for the kitchen to get some tea. On his way through the living room, he heard Tohru wake and knelt by her side again.

"Kyou?" she asked, her voice a bit stronger than before.

"Yes?" he answered, kneeling beside her.

"What was that thing? The one that kept hurting me." Kyou, seeing that her mind was still in a fog from loss of blood answered in the simplest way he knew.

"It was a monster." Kyou replied, "A monster that wants to kill you, and catch me." Tohru stared up at the ceiling in thought, her fingers twiddling under the blankets.

"Was it what took you away?"

"Yes."

Kyou looked toward the kitchen and all the people in it. He couldn't put all of them in danger, not even the kuso nezumi. It was nearly dark out, and the thought that had been nagging at the back of his mind all day finally answered itself.

"Tohru, " he said, softly and slowly so she could understand, and maybe remember as she came out of the delirium she seemed to be in, "I have to leave."

"Why?" she asked, her eyelids drooping despite her best efforts.

"I don't want to put you in danger." He said, his heart and body rejecting everything he was saying with their entirety. "I need you to leave, and go back to Shigure's house. Forget me Tohru. Live a happy life away from my curse, and never look back. Just forget that I ever existed."

"No!" Tohru cried, drawing the attention of the others. "Don't leave me Kyou!"

By the time everyone had come from the kitchen, Kyou had disappeared. Tohru was given fluids, some food, and some medicine for her fever. Everyone assumed her cries for Kyou were delirium, so they sat nearby, concerned. No one heard her final cry of "Don't leave me!" as sleep took her from her misery.

* * *

Replies to the Reviewers:

ABO: Thanks!

Luffy V'shile: Okay. That explains the name. I'm more of a fan of Zoro myself, not a lover of Zoro, just a fan. Luffy is cool too though. Sorry I didn't update that soon…. I just got preoccupied with school. That's over for now though so I might be able to write more.

gost girl: I will. Thanks!

Amethyst: Thank you! I'll try to update soon. I already have part of the next chapter and some semblance of a plot.

a: Yep, I am continuing the story. Just in case you didn't guess that. I just have this tendency of not posting for a while. Just look at one any of my other stories for example.

AN: And that's chapter the sixth, one of the sappiest chapters I've ever written. Yep… I really don't know what to say next… Oh, and any medical stuff in this story, unless otherwise mentioned, is not actually researched. I'm kinda lazy that way. I'll try to get that info if I do it again though. See ya next chapter! Oh, and the next chapter gets kinda technical so be warned. Ja ne!

T.K.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba.

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Seventh

Kyou sat on the roof of one of the taller city buildings. His Orange hair was plastered to his face and little rivulets of rainwater were washing away the red tinge that circled his mouth. His mind was a whirl of questions; should he return to the lair? Should he become Kyofu again? If he did, would Tohru and the others be safe? Before he could begin to delve deeper into these questions, a shadow landed behind him, unnoticed. Before Kyou knew it, he was hanging over the edge of the building by the neck face to face with Miji.

Miji's face was twisted in a snarl lit only by the flashes of lightning as the storm around them progressed. A growl escaped his lips as he threw Kyou down into the concrete of the roof. Rising, Kyou took a blow to the head, and flew backwards, narrowly missing the edge. Struggling to get upright again, he was stopped by a sharp hit to the neck which sent him down again. Deep red blood started leaking down his face from various injuries and a deep bruise was forming around the base of his neck where his spine was trying to heal back together. He felt a great hand wrap around his neck and send him flying upwards only to come down upon Miji's raised fist. Several ribs cracked and had he been breathing the wind would have been knocked several streets clear of him at the blow, but Miji didn't cease, and Kyou didn't resist. Blows landed in various spots as Miji took his frustrations out on the young vampire. Finally bored, he threw Kyou toward the edge of the building and stalked toward him, good and slow.

"Why don't you fight?" he asked, anger lacing his unnaturally calm voice. Kyou looked up into the eyes of his attacker, meeting the Miji's deadly gaze with his own lost look. Kyou rose to his feet, swaying a bit from loss of blood and other various injuries that hadn't completely healed.

"There is nothing to fight for." He answered, his empty eyes looking into the distance. He didn't even see Miji standing there, only the memories that ran through his mind along with the pain. Rain pelted down even harder, washing the excess blood from his face as he stood there staring off into his memories. Miji looked slightly amused, and in reaction stepped forward, wrapping his left hand around Kyou's neck.

"Was there ever?" he asked, throwing Kyou off of the roof.

Hatori walked calmly down the hall, totally unaware of the recent events concerning Kyou. He was following a small balding man that looked to be in his late thirties. The man had seen a lot of the dead in his life, being that he was the medical examiner, and the smell of death with an undertone of sterile equipment that kept most out of that particular branch of the Hospital, didn't bother him too much. Hatori wasn't too put off by it either. Among the smell of death was the answer to Kyou's whereabouts and if they found Kyou, then life at the Sohma house might be cheerful for once, with the curse broken and everyone happy.

"Through here." The medical examiner commanded as he opened a nearby door. Hatori followed him into a sterile room with hundreds of little steel doors in the walls and bright white lights glaring down on the metal table that was the centerpiece of the room. The medical examiner walked over to one of the steel doors and pulled a slab of metal out with a pretty young woman on it. Her brown hair hung loose around a pale, bloated face that one could tell had once held much beauty. The only wound on her body was a slash mark across her neck.

"The young woman is completely drained of her blood," explained the medical examiner, "but the only wound anywhere on her body is this gash on her neck." He said as he tilted the woman's head so Hatori could see the mark clearly. It spread from the hairline to the collarbone in a slant about half a centimeter thick; the dark red of the dried blood held a stark contrast to her pale skin.

"What could have been used to do this?" asked Hatori.

"No one is sure. All we know is that this is the 15th victim this month to be killed in this manner."

"15th ?"

"Yes, it would've been 16h , but one of the latest victims survived"

"Did the victim give an eyewitness account?"

"Yes. She described the killer as dressed all in black with pale skin, orange hair, and a scar around his left wrist."

"Kyou!" yelled Tohru as she saw his prone form in the alleyway. She pulled Kagura with her as she ran to Kyou's side. He was unconscious and covered in injuries, though the injuries were hard to see because of the blood that was flowing lazily from them.

"Kyou, Kyou wake up!" said Tohru, shaking Kyou a little harder than she meant to. He stirred, and opened his crimson eyes a bit. His eyes were glossed over with a fine black film, similar to that which covered his victims' eyes before they died.

"We have to get him to the apartment." said Kagura as she too knelt by his side.

"Alright." said Tohru as she watched Kagura lift him. Kagura was really stronger than most gave her credit for.

"Let's go." said Kagura as she stepped out of the shadows of the alley and into the sunlit main alley. Kyou's unconscious body bucked violently, catching Kagura by surprise. Nearly dropping him, Kagura stumbled backwards into the shade of the alley where she stood, dumbfounded. Kyou had calmed, and fell limp in Kagura's arms once more.

"What was that?" asked Kagura, panting slightly.

"It's like he's allergic to the sun…" said Tohru, uncharacteristically smart for lack of another character. "We've only seen him at night since he came here, so it would make sense..."

"He wasn't allergic before..." Kagura said, carefully stooping and setting Kyou on the cool pavement where she could fuss over his injuries a bit. "But maybe we should wait until nightfall anyway."

"How are we going to get back in the hotel without being stopped?" asked Tohru, sitting beside Kyou.

"I don't know. Maybe when he wakes up we can get some information." said Kagura as she leaned against the alley wall, not knowing what to do next.

And so the girls waited by Kyou's side until dusk fell. As the red glow of the setting sun settled into the nearby streets, Kagura turned to Kyou and shook his shoulder, quietly calling his name. With a strangled groan his eyes fluttered open, drawing a gasp from the girls.

"What…"

"That's what we'd like to know." said Kagura simply, recovering from the sight of Kyou's glossed over eyes.

Blinking slowly, Kyou fought to stay awake. "I'll explain…" he started, but his voice caught in his throat and failed. Horrible rasping noises filled the alley as he tried to speak.

"Don't talk. We need to get you back up to our apartment. If we help you, can you walk?"

Kyou forced his eyes open a bit more and forced his breathing to calm.

"I'll…"

"You'll try right?" asked Tohru.

Kyou jumped slightly at her voice. "Yes..." he rasped.

"Alright," said Kagura as she lifted Kyou's arm over her shoulder and Tohru did the same. Lifting together they got Kyou on his feet. He was taller than both of them which made it hard, but still he tried to support himself. It was no use, his body just wouldn't do it. In the end, Kagura ended up wiping off as much blood off Kyou's face as she could and she and Tohru took Kyou through the main lobby under the cover that he had been in a bar brawl and needed to sleep it off. Through some great feat of luck their plan worked and they managed to get Kyou onto the couch in their joint room.

Kagura left to get some water for the three of them and left Tohru by Kyou's side. Carefully Tohru cleaned the rest of the blood from Kyou's face with a wet cloth and sat back to check on him. Kyou had opened his eyes again at the loss of her touch, but his eyes couldn't be seen under the ever darkening film that now covered his eyes.

"Can you hear me?" asked Tohru.

"Yes…"said Kyou, his words barely audible.

"Why can't you talk?" asked Tohru.

Kyou's hand rose to his neck and pulled way some tattered bits of cloth. Protruding slightly from his neck was a thick wooden stick that obviously went deep into his neck.

"Oh My God!" said Tohru as she stared at the injury. Kyou's hand started to fall away, and Tohru caught it in hers.

"I have to pull it out." she said, her voice shaking.

Kyou weakly pushed his and Tohru's hands towards the splinter.

"Okay." said Tohru as she set Kyou's hand on the couch again.

"What's going on?" asked Kagura as she entered with a pitcher of ice water and several cups.

"Kyou… he's got a…" Tohru said, pointing to Kyou's neck.

Kagura set down the things she was holding and came over to investigate.

"We have to pull it out." said Kagura after a long silence. "Tohru, grab some towels from the kitchen."

Soon Tohru had several towels ready in her hands as Kagura wrapped her hands around the stick. "Ready?" she asked. At Tohru's nod Kagura pulled the stick free and Tohru pressed the towels into the wound. Kyou didn't move much, at all, and the girls thought he had fallen asleep again until he opened his sightless eyes. Tohru pulled back the towels a bit and found the wound barely bleeding.

"Kagura…" she said nervously. "Isn't it supposed to bleed more than that?"

Kagura looked puzzled at the wound. "Yeah." she said, "Yeah, it should."

"Kyou?" asked Tohru.

Kyou turned his sightless eyes toward her voice and spoke quietly, "Yeah."

"Drink this." said Kagura, pouring water into his mouth. Kyou gulped the water down effortlessly, far better than anyone in his condition should have.

"Maybe food will help." said Tohru quietly and she went into the kitchen to cook something.

"No Leeks." Kagura reminded her as she tended to Kyou.

Tohru returned several minutes later with a plate of salmon onigiri.

"Perfect." said Kagura as she took one from the plate.

"Kyou, eat this." She said as she held it to his lips. He didn't move to eat it so Kagura tried to force it into his mouth, but to no avail.

"Kyou you have to eat." she said stubbornly.

"Please!" added Tohru.

Kyou turned his head slightly. Kagura handed Tohru the onigiri and put a hand on Kyou's jaw and a hand on his forehead. Pulling hard she managed to open his mouth. Tohru shoved in a piece of onigiri and Kagura let go, letting Kyou's mouth to slam shut. In shock, Kyou swallowed the onigiri roughly down his damaged throat.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" asked Kagura. "Try another."

Kyou felt his body reject the onigiri and turned his head to the side as it violently forced its way back through his mouth, bringing what was left of the undigested blood in his system back up.

Kagura stood there in shock beside a very scared Tohru.

"What…" she tried to say, but couldn't get any farther. The door opened a minute later and Haru came in. The shock on his normally emotionless face was worth a thousand words. He ran forward and asked what was going on as he saw Kyou laying on the couch.

Kagura could say nothing as her voice had left her. Tohru tried to explain, but also found it hard to speak. Haru knelt by Kyou and asked the problem directly.

"They… tried to help." Said Kyou weakly.

"What will help?" asked Haru.

"Blood…" said Kyou weakly.

Haru pulled back his sleeve and brought his wrist to Kyou's mouth. "Don't kill me." He said with unnerving calm. Kyou sank his fangs into Haru's arm and drank his life until he felt Haru's heart weaken. With newfound strength Kyou pulled away and licked his bloodstained lips. Haru swayed and collapsed to his knees beside the vampire.

"I thought you were kidding." Haru said quietly.

"No. Thanks." said Kyou as he sat shakily up.

"What did you do that has the girls so scared?" asked Haru.

Kyou looked around for a sign of them and found none. "Where are they?"

"Momiji took them into the bathroom to clean up. What did you do to them?"

"They tried to make me eat. My body didn't agree."

Haru nodded. "Can you stand?" he asked.

Kyou shook his head. "I can barely sit."

Haru tried to stand, but found himself too weak. "Are you okay if I just kind of sit here?"

"Yes." said Kyou. "I know you can't move. It's alright."

Just then Momiji came bouncing back into the room, followed by Tohru.

"Haru, why are you on the floor?" asked Momiji.

"Little tired." He said.

Momiji came over and slipped Haru's arm over his shoulder. The two made an interesting pair as they made their way towards Tohru's bedroom. Momiji turned as they got to the door and asked lightly, "Do you mind if Haru uses your bed Tohru?"

Tohru shook her head and watched Momiji take Haru inside. Carefully Tohru picked her way around to the front of the couch where she could be face to face with Kyou.

"Can I get you something?" she asked.

"Tea would be okay." Kyou said quietly. "And orange juice would be a good idea for Haru."

Tohru nodded and put a kettle of water on the stove before pouring some OJ for Haru and bringing it to him. When she returned, Tohru watched Kyou nervously as though afraid he'd explode at any moment. When he spent several minutes in one piece, Tohru nervously sat beside him and asked if he could explain a few things.

"Sure." Kyou replied.

"Why… why does the sun hurt you?" asked Tohru.

"I'm a vampire." Kyou replied simply.

Tohru stared at him in shock. "You're a… what?"

"A vampire." He said quietly, as though ashamed. "It's why I never came home."

"When… Why… How?" asked Tohru, still very much in shock.

"Shishou found me outside your work place. He ended up turning me after he got me back here."

Tohru sat in silence, trying to absorb everything she'd just been told. It was all swirling around in her mind like a whirlwind. Tohru stared into space for several minutes until the whistle of the forgotten kettle drew her back to the real world. Making tea for herself and Kyou, she returned and carefully handed Kyou a cup before taking her seat beside him. He took a sip of the scalding liquid without the slightest negative reaction. Tohru watched in awe.

"That isn't… too hot?" Tohru asked at last.

"No. It's really good hot."

"Oh."

Silence.

"So, what happened to you?" asked Tohru nervously.

"I was in a fight."

"What kind of fight was it that drove a stick through your neck?"

"That wasn't the fight, it was the fall."

"From where?"

"The… a ways up." Kyou said, not wanting to scare Tohru anymore than he already had.

"Kyou… What's wrong with your eyes?" asked Tohru finally.

"It happens sometimes, usually when I'm really hurt or short on blood."

"Can you see?"

"A little. Mostly shapes and stuff."

"It'll go away right?" asked Tohru, suddenly more scared again.

"Yeah." Said Kyou.

Tohru breathed a sigh of relief surprising even herself with the sudden concern she felt.

"So that blood, it wasn't from internal injuries?" asked Momiji from the doorway.

"No." said Kyou, sounding ashamed again.

Tohru looked from Kyou to Momiji in shock. When did everyone start figuring this stuff out? Why was Momiji suddenly so serious? It was still just a big confusing blur. Momiji came and sat by them for a few minutes, no one spoke. It was actually Kyou who broke the silence.

"Get out of here." he said quickly, struggling to his feet.

"Kyou, what's happening?" asked Tohru.

"Get to Momiji's apartment, NOW!" said Kyou, lowering into a fighting stance.

Tohru backed away at the sound of Kyou's voice. The mixture of malice, anger, and even a bit of fear drove her back. Momiji handed Tohru the keys to his apartment and sent her away as he ran to get Haru and Kagura. Momiji was half-way across the room when a shadow swung through the window sending glass shards across the room. Tohru screamed and Momiji tried to run, but the shadow hit him hard in the head and continued on, making his way towards Kyou.

"What do you want?" demanded Kyou.

Evil laughter filled the room as the vampire stepped forward. "I want to finish what I started with you."

"What did you start?" asked Kyou.

Miji laughed again and swung at Kyou. Kyou somehow managed to duck the blow and deliver a kick of his own. But his efforts were without result as Miji countered with a roundhouse kick. Kyou fell from his already unsteady legs and tried to roll out f the way of Miji's blow, but missed. As Miji was about to deliver a second blow to the already down Kyou, Tohru leapt between them.

Miji laughed and turned his attention the girl who had so often been pulled from his clutches. "What do you think you are human?" he asked with a laugh.

"Stop hurting him." begged Tohru, "Please, Please stop."

"Begging. How very human." said Miji as Kyou threw Tohru off of him to save her from Miji's blow.

"I'll tell you what. You recover and live with your precious humans for a year. When your time is up I will hunt you down and we will fight to the dust. Do you accept?"

"Yes." said Kyou, "As long as you leave this country and stay away from all related to the Sohmas."

"Agreed." said Miji, who lowered a hand. Kyou raised his own hand to Miji and the two bit each other's wrists, just enough to draw blood.

"In a year then." said Miji as he leapt out the window.

"Yes." said Kyou, struggling to get to his feet again. Tohru ran to him, crying.

"What did you do?" she asked through her tears.

"I just bought us a year of borrowed time." said Kyou who had given up on trying to rise and lay on the blood soaked rug where he was.

"But what do you mean a fight to the dust?" she asked.

"I mean that he and I will fight until one of us returns to the dust; until one of us dies."

"Kyou, you can't…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll deal with it later. How's Momiji?"

Tohru crawled frantically to his side and tried to wake him. Momiji didn't stir at first, and it took both Tohru and Kyou to wake him. As he stirred with a groan and turned his head, Tohru saw a line of blood trickling from his ear and gasped.

"Call an ambulance." said Kyou quietly as he shook Momiji some more. Momiji opened his eyes a bit and looked at Kyou.

"It's bright…" he whispered.

Kyou turned to call to Tohru, but Haru had already hit the light switch.

Turning back to Momiji, Kyou did all he could to keep Momiji awake. Momiji's eyes drifted open and shut, fatigue almost overtaking him again and again. Haru threw a blanket over Momiji and sat beside him, trying to help as best he could.

"Where does it hurt?" asked Tohru?

"My head." said Momiji almost dreamily. His attention kept drifting off to other things as the fatigue kept eating at him.

"His head…" Tohru said into the phone as she stood over the guys, restrained by the phone cord. She listened to the receiver for several moments then asked, "What are his symptoms?"

"The light hurts his eyes, he keeps trying to go back to sleep… his pulse is fast." Haru said in his monotone, disturbingly calm.

Tohru repeated what Haru had said adding that he was bleeding from his ear. She listened to more instructions and then hung up the phone.

"You should leave." Haru told Kyou.

Nodding, Kyou stood as best he could and dragged himself to the window, blood trailing from him. Sliding open the window, he grabbed a hold of the fire escape and dragged himself out the window and down into the shadows where he disappeared.

Haru took up the post of keeping Momiji awake until the ambulance came and Tohru curled herself into a ball, letting the shock of past events flow from her in a flood of tears.

**AN: Well, there's the newest chapter of Vampires. It was good and long I'm proud to say, and I had a lot of fun writing it, however it turned out. I regret that I can't reply to my reviewers in this chapter (I couldn't in the recent Demoness either so don't feel left out.) because of computer issues, but I will try for next chapter. Thanks for reading. **

** T.K.**


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